HC reprieve to Ansal brothers in Uphaar case

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today granted bail to Sushil and Gopal Ansal, convicted by a lower court for their complicity in the 1997 Uphaar theatre fire tragedy case.

Hearing senior counsel Ram Jethmalani argue for the Ansal brothers, Justice H R Malhotra granted the Ansal brothers, Shyam Sunder Sharma and H S Panwar bail against personal and surety bond of Rs 50,000 each.

They had all been sentenced to two-year jail term by a lower court on November 23.

The fire had claimed 59 lives on June 13, 1997. The victims were watching a movie when the fire broke out. Pleading innocence, the convicts had approached the high court to suspend their sentence.

Justice Malhotra also directed daily hearings of the case from February 15.

The trial court found the Ansal brothers guilty of negligence.

Seven others -- Radha Krishan Sharma, N S Chopra, Ajit Chowdhary (Uphaar managers), Manmohan Unniyal (cinema's gatekeeper), Brij Mohan Satija, A K Gera and Bir Singh (all DVB officials) -- held guilty for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, were awarded seven-year rigorous imprisonment.

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